Living, Loving and Giving

While this is typically my book review day I thought, since I couldn’t stomach the book I really tried to read over the last two weeks, I would take this time and opportunity to bring a few sites to your attention. Rarely do I use this blog to talk about some of the more depressing aspects of life as a human, nor about the massive plights and burdens some folks have placed upon them. Through facebook and then a google search born of cynicism I came across a heart rending story that had me crying bucket loads of tears over my laptop. In truth I actually paused, got tissues, stopped reading the posts before me, continued to sob, then read some more.

I don’t know how well known the story of Layla Grace Marsh is to everyone out there, but I had remained blissfully unaware and kvetching about my two year old’s tantrums until last evening. For right now, my whining and complaining is practically non-existent. You see, my willful, stubborn and oft-times fearless toddler with a mean right hook and a good arm (and aim) is healthy. Yes, he is gloriously healthy. He knows when I’m offering him a bribe and will promptly shift his behavior so the result will be very advantageous to him and other times he’ll be running, playing, eating raisins (or spitting them out when it suits); but he’s healthy.

This little girl was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at 15 months and died a year later. I can not and indeed hope to never experience the grief and horror the Marsh family is now going through as they plan a funeral for their youngest daughter. It’s a horror I do my best to live in ignorance of while simultaneously crossing my fingers praying I will never know that experience. It’s something many families out there do not have the luxury of hoping for.

The cause is never about the diseases children are afflicted by but is the children themselves. Those who are born premature and are fighting for each breath, others who are autistic in all its varying degrees of severity/symptoms, then there are those who are victims of a disease or even violence. The list is quite endless and regardless of the cause of trauma the concern is always for the child. Each life is so very precious and no one gives each of us, cynics or otherwise, a reminder of this quite like the thought of a child suffering. I ask that all of you, should you have the means to do so, please consider giving to a charity who works directly with improving the lives of children. For those interested I have included a few links below to check out. Thank you so much for your time and fortitude in reading this post and I hope you have the opportunity to check out the links below.

8 responses to “Living, Loving and Giving”

To improve the lives of children, one must first improve the lives of their parents. Not in the material sense so much, although that would probably be useful for more than 50% of the world’s populations. But in the way that people look at the world. Loving your child is something that should come naturally. It doesn’t to people who cannot afford another child. It doesn’t to people who are addicted. And it doesn’t to people who have had a child imposed upon them.
Starting with mothers, I would love to see every pregnant woman give herself the care necessary to carry a fetus through a healthy term. I would love to see people want their children and work to learn the love necessary to be present for their children. But life is never so simple.
In Vedic philosophy it is said that a child chooses his/her parents and a time and place of their birth. The Vedic philosophers believe that each person therefor comes into the world with a job to do.
Tragic though it is, and having almost lost one of my own children, I would never wish such a thing on anyone. But what if what happens is not about the event itself, but what life lesson can be learned from it? namaste

Jan – Vedic is an interesting philosophy and one I don’t know I can get behind and support if only because of my paralyzing fears around it. Nothing intellectual or rational about it. 😉 I do agree about the life lesson one can learn from tragedy, I think that is true about all events we survive. I obviously concur with starting with the parents, for what quality of life can a child have if their environment is destined to be toxic? Admittedly there is little as outsiders we can do about situations such as those but in the realm of medical issues or even cases of abuse where an intervention has already taken place there is a way of reaching out and contributing helpfully.

Since having Dylan I have much more understanding and compassion in my heart for what you went through with your youngest.

To lost a children is probably the most horrible thing that can happen to a family . I know a little bit this situation cause my parents lost my grand brother when he birthed . Even 31 years after it’s a pain in the family that can’t disappear , probably because it’s unfair .

I had no idea, Claire. I am so very sorry for the pain of loss still rippling through your family. I can’t help but think of all the suffering – so abundant in this world. I also can’t think of a single one that would be worse than to bury your child. It, to my way of thinking, is just not the order of life despite it’s still all too common occurrence.